Apocalypse in Arctlantis
by philliesfan2256
Summary: Pretty this is a post-apocalyptic story featuring the Rockhopper crew. Wouldn't the penguins have a home planet where they all came from? Then I watched the Walking Dead and thus this story was born. Enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

"We have to go! Right now!" Zidgel snapped.

"Why?" Jason ran after the captain as he jogged down the hallway of the Rockhopper. "Where are we going?"

"We are getting you and your sister home." Zidgel said. He skidded to a halt outside of Midgel's door. He pounded his fist on it. "Midgel! Get out here!"

"You're gonna just ditch us without even telling us why?" Jason whined.

Zidgel ignored the boy and pounded on Midgel's door again. When there was still no answer, he slid open the door and marched in. The pilot was a motionless lump in his bed. "Midgel. Up. Now."Zidgel snapped.

Midgel groaned and rolled so he was facing Zidgel and Jason. He blinked blearily as he focused on the intruders. "I heard you, I just thought you were Fidg." He murmured as he sat up. "Wait, what's wrong?"

"Take us back to Earth." Zidgel said. He looked like he wanted to explain further, but he stopped when he remembered that Jason was there.

"Right now? It's way early." Midgel ran his fingers through his hair, which stuck up from the night against the pillow.

"It's an emergency." Zidgel answered. "Don't even bother getting your uniform on, just get us going."

He walked back out the door as Midgel crawled out of his bed, trying to rub the sleep from his eyes.

Jason grew frustrated with the captain and pulled his arm before he could start jogging again. "Tell me what's going on!" He demanded, folding his arms as Zidgel turned to look at him.

"Jase, we don't have any time-"

"I bet you do." Jason interrupted. "Please, captain."

Zidgel crossed his arms over his chest. He narrowed his eyes, which were normally filled with laughter and jokes, but right now, they were more serious than Jason had ever seen them. In fact, the captain looked nothing like his usual self. Instead of his orange Federation uniform, he was wearing a simple gray tee shirt and jeans. His hair looked like he had just woke up and didn't have time to truly style it. It was eery how different he was acting.

Finally, Zidgel sighed. "Walk with me." He said softly. He turned and continued down the hallway. When Jason caught up with him, he began to explain. "We've got some trouble back at home."

"You mean on Earth?"

"No. I mean on _our_ home. Arctlantis."

Jason paused. He had spent so much time with them aboard the Rockhopper, he never really thought that the penguins had a home planet. "What's wrong?"

"Well…" Zidgel hesitated. He didn't want Jason to know what was going on. "There is a kind of infestation."

"Then why are me and Michelle leaving? We've handled worse!" Jason protested.

"This is different."

"How?"

"These… things… aren't like a bunch of giant ants. They're more dangerous. They try to kill." Zidgel started walking faster. "It's just better if you kids go home."

"But that means it's just as dangerous for you as it is for us!" Jason said. "We'll do better if we help!"

"This isn't a mission." Zidgel sighed.

"So?"

"Jason, you can't come." The captain stopped walking and gripped Jason's shoulder. "It's just too dangerous. I can't put you kids through something like this."

"Why can't you just say what it is?" Midgel's voice cut through their conversation. He walked up and stood next to Jason.

Zidgel stood up straight and glared at the pilot. "It's better for him not to know the details."

"Well I need to know. So you might as well just tell both of us." Midgel crossed his arms. He hadn't changed out of what he'd slept in, which consisted of a white tee shirt and shorts.

Zidgel sighed in exasperation. "Midg, I'll tell you, but this isn't the thing for a kid."

"He's part of the crew too." Midgel continued to argue. "How bad can it be-"

"Zombies!" Zidgel finally blurted. The silence between them became thick with panic. Zidgel took a deep breath. "There, happy now? Arctlantis has a zombie problem."

Midgel tried to smile. "You're funny, captain."

"No, it's serious."

Midgel didn't want to believe that it was true, but everything about Zidgel's face spoke the truth. "Well, we've got to get home."

"That's what I'm trying to do. We have to get everyone out… after we get the kids to Earth."

Jason was still speechless. He had read about zombies in comic books, but he only ever thought of them as fiction.

Zidgel glanced at the boy when he noticed his quiet state. "Jase, you aren't coming. It's not your problem."

"But…" Jason looked up at the two penguins before him. "You're going?"

"Yeah." Midgel said. "It's our home. What kind of soldiers are we if we sit back and watch the apocalypse happen from our ship."

Zidgel snorted. "Yeah, soldiers. Right."

"But you could die." The thought brought tears to Jason's eyes.

"Hey." Midgel noticed that Jason was about to break. He pulled the kid into his chest. He felt him grip his waist in response. "We aren't gonna die."

Zidgel glared at the floor. That was the exact reason why he didn't want to tell Jason the real reason. He turned and continued down the hall without looking back. He made it onto the main deck. He eased himself into his chair, thoughts running through his head. He closed his eyes and tried to calm himself down. Their mission was not to save their planet, but to get their families out safely. Arctlantis was too far from saving at this point.

Zidgel opened his eyes when he heard the doors slide open. Midgel entered the room, trying to smooth his hair. "So when we get everyone out, then what?"

The captain brought a hand to his face. "We just get out of there. Maybe go to the Federation until we find a new planet to live on."

Midgel only nodded in response as he approached his own station. He sat down in his seat and started up the Rockhopper. As the ship started to move, Zidgel stood up and made his way to the Vizzy screen and punched in their coordinates. "Where's Jason?" He asked after a moment of silence.

"I sent him back to his room." Midgel answered. He sighed. "I see why you didn't want to tell him."

"Exactly."

"But it's a good thing you did." Midgel cut in. He turned to look at Zidgel. "It's not fair for you to drop him off at home and expect him not to wonder why."

"But he wouldn't be like this."

"And how would he be if we never went back for them?" Midgel snapped. He was growing tired of Zidgel's excuses. "If we never went back and never gave them an explanation?"

Zidgel couldn't answer. He knew that Midgel was right. "I just wanted to protect them." He murmured.

Midgel's eyes softened. "I know."

Both penguins turned as the doors slid open again. Fidgel and Kevin entered, both looking slightly dishevelled from sleep. "What are you guys doing? It's an hour earlier than normal." Fidgel said.

Zidgel sighed and explained the situation once again. When he finished, Fidgel had turned pale and Kevin's jaw had dropped. "You're not kidding?" He asked hopefully.

"Unfortunately, no." Zidgel said. He leaned against the Vizzy screen control panel. "Look, we'll get our families out, no problem."

"Who are we getting first?" Fidgel asked.

Zidgel had been thinking about the best way to pick up their separate families. Midgel's and his own lived close to each other so they could be picked up in one stop, but Fidgel's and Kevin's lived on separate sides of town. He wasn't sure if there was a "good" way to go about it. "Well, what do you guys think?"

Fidgel hesitated. "If I had a choice, I would of course, say to pick up Molly and my mum first." He shrugged. "Of course everyone else here would say the same thing."

"What do you think is the most efficient way?" Midgel asked. He put the ship into auto-pilot and approached the rest of the crew. "I was thinking to pick up Fidgel's wife and mother first. His mother is the oldest."

"But my wife is pregnant." Zidgel scowled. "Plus, we've got three more kids. Do you think they'll survive longer than her?"

"In case you've forgotten, I've got an infant of my own." Midgel retorted.

"Misty can take care of herself." Zidgel waved off Midgel's response.

"So can Colette." Fidgel said. "We're being logical here. We can't pick them all up at once."

Zidgel paused. "What if we could?"

Midgel looked at the captain. "What do you mean?"

"What if we land the ship an equal distance from each of our homes then split up and get to our families at the same time?"

"Split up?" Fidgel crossed his arms. "Are you hearing yourself, lad? That's always the worst idea in horror movies."

"But it could be the fastest way to get everyone on the ship." Zidgel explained.

"No." Midgel said. "We need to all stick together. We'll be more likely to survive."

"And there will be more of us to protect them." Kevin said. "I say we use Midgel's idea."

"I second." Fidgel said.

Zidgel licked his lips. "Ok, whatever you guys think is best." He turned to the pilot. "After Molly, then what?"

"We make our way towards Kevin's place." Midgel continued to explain. "Mine and Zidgel's houses are on the way, we will pick up the others quickly."

"Then Kevin's." Zidgel confirmed. "Then we're out."

"Absolutely." Midgel nodded.

"Sounds like a plan so far." Fidgel said. "But first, let's get the twins to safety." As if right on cue, a light beeping signaled that they were almost to Earth.

Midgel made his way back to the cockpit to prepare for landing. "Wake them up. We'll have to say good-bye." He said quietly.

Zidgel stood outside of Michelle's room. She was the only one aboard the ship who didn't know what was going on. He wished with all of his might that he could keep it that way, but he knew she would find out sooner or later. He lightly knocked on the door. There was no answer so he pushed the doors apart. The room was dark except for her pink nightlight that he had bought her when they first started staying on the ship. He gulped and entered the room. Michelle still slept soundly on her bed. He watched her peaceful form for a minute or two then forced himself to sit down on the edge of her bed. He placed a hand on her back and shook her slightly. "Michelle? You gotta get up."

The girl stirred. She opened her eyes a bit and looked at him. "Why?" She asked quietly.

"You're going home now."

"Now?" She yawned and stretched her arms. "What's going on?"

Zidgel reached over to her bed stand and turned on the small lamp. "The crew is going on a mission. You and Jason have to go home."

"But we're part of the crew too." Michelle sat up and squinted again the light. She reached beside her and picked up her glasses so she could get a better look at the captain. "We've fought Cavitus, what could be worse than that?"

"Well, it's about our home planet- Arctlantis." Zidgel said softly. "It has a problem that's too dangerous for you to join us."

"What is it?"

Zidgel hesitated. "It sounds crazy, but it has a zombie problem."

Michelle paused. "Yeah, right." She grinned but faltered when the captain didn't grin back. "Wait, you're serious?"

Zidgel nodded.

"And you have to save your planet?"

"No… our families."

"You have families?" Michelle asked. She was wide awake at this point. "Why didn't you ever tell us?"

"I don't know." Zidgel said. "It never came up."

"So you're going there for them?" Michelle asked. The same conclusion that came to Jason started to form in his sister's head. "Will you come back?"

Zidgel started to answer, to promise that he would come back to get them both. But he remembered their adventure on Planet Cross-My-Heart. He couldn't guarantee that they'd come back in one piece. "I don't know." He put a hand on her shoulder so she looked into his eyes. "But I promise you that we will try our hardest to get back to you and your brother."

"But what if you don't?" A sob escaped the girl's mouth and she fell forward into Zidgel's chest. He closed his arms around her, holding her close as she cried into his shirt.

He let her stay for a bit until her shaking slowed. Then he pulled her away and looked into her tear-stained face. "We will try, Michelle. I can promise you that." He narrowed his eyes in thought. Then he reached into his shirt and pulled out a necklace. Michelle had never noticed that he had one. It was a simple pendent of a silver sun with a blue gem in the middle. "Here. Why don't you keep this and give it back when we come and get you again." He unhooked it from around his neck and placed it in her own hands.

She sniffed and looked at the piece of jewelry. "Ok." She said softly.

"Get ready for landing." Midgel's voice said over the intercom.

Zidgel stood up. "Get anything that you need, sweetheart. We'll be home soon."

Michelle just nodded and continued to stare at his gift. Zidgel looked at her then backed out of the room. Once the doors closed, he sucked in a rugged breath. He swiped at a tear that escaped down his cheek. Now was not the time to get emotional. The captain marched down the hallway to prepare for landing.


	2. Chapter 2

Midgel felt oddly distracted as he dressed. The Rockhopper was on the quickest route to Arctlantis. Normally, when they were on their way home, he was excited. But this time, he found himself terrified. He didn't know what to expect. He had no way to contact Misty or anyone on the planet for that matter. He walked out of his room and headed for their vault. Instead of being dressed in his orange uniform that he wore for normal missions, he wore a tight, long-sleeve shirt with armored jeans and boots. He carried a sweatshirt with him to put on over the armor that he would wear from the vault. He rarely dressed this way. He felt as if he was going into battle.

The pilot stopped outside the door and placed his hand on the scanner to let himself in. He walked past the many compartments carrying special documents, money, and other valuables. He opened a door in the back and walked into a closet. The light switched on to reveal the armor that was specifically designed for each crew member. Zidgel's armor was already gone. Midgel approached his own corner and threw his sweatshirt onto the floor as he pulled his body armor from the compartment. It fit easily over his tight shirt. He smiled slightly as he pulled out his "lucky" tee-shirt. It was a royal purple shirt with his favorite band on the front. He hadn't worn it since his days on the Federation football team. But they had never lost a game when he wore it under his uniform. He pulled it on over his armor then slipped into the sweatshirt as well.

There was one more thing left in the compartment. Midgel paused before reaching for it. He pulled out a gun in a holster. He sighed. When was the last time he'd used a gun? He examined the contents of the holster. It consisted of several rounds of ammo along with the gun itself. He strapped it around his middle, making sure it fit snuggly. He glanced at himself in the mirror. The pilot that he normally saw was no longer there. He saw the classically trained soldier that he usually managed to hide under his laid-back personality.

Midgel sighed and pushed his hair out of his face. He looked up as the door opened behind him. Fidgel walked in, looking grim.

"Hey." Midgel murmured, turning back to his own compartment, which he closed.

"Hello," Fidgel said distractedly. He started pulling on his own armor which was identical to Midgel's.

"How's the captain?" Midgel asked. He was almost afraid to find out the answer. He knew that he was not taking this whole thing well.

The doctor sighed. "He seems calm. Well, as calm as you can be considering the circumstances."

Midgel nodded. "How close are we?" He asked after a moment.

"Not far." Fidgel said. "We should land in 15 minutes."

The butterflies in Midgel's stomach fluttered. "There's no way this is real." He muttered. "Maybe I'll just wake up and it'll all be fine."

Fidgel snorted. "I'd like to think the same thing."

"Yeah, I guess it's a long shot." Midgel said. He straightened his shirt and turned towards the door. "I'm heading up."

"See you up there."

Midgel made his way down the hallway, his boots thudding loudly. He pushed his hair out of his face again. He realized that it would be really annoying with the helmet he would be wearing. He made a detour to his bedroom and into his bathroom. He stared himself down in the mirror. Fidgel had told him they would be landing in almost 15 minutes. That gave Midgel plenty of time to prepare. He ruffled his hair so it fell in his eyes. It was way too long for him at this point. He reached into one of the drawers and pulled out a pair of electric clippers. He flicked them on and stared at them as they buzzed in his hands. He wasn't doing anything drastic, his normal haircut was a buzz cut, when he wasn't too lazy to do it.

Midgel ran his hand through his hair one more time, then placed the clippers on the front of his hairline and pushed back. He watched his black hair fall in front of his eyes. He moved swiftly along the left side of his head, a mountain of hair collecting on the floor.

Midgel always preferred to keep his hair shorter. It was cooler and easier to manage. He purposefully grew it out several inches for the satisfaction of shaving off large chunks at a time. He finished after a few minutes and looked at his shorn hair on the floor and in the sink. It was a good time for a haircut, he thought.

He cleaned up and walked out of the bathroom. Just as he was about to head up to the main deck to prepare for landing, he caught sight of the picture he always kept next to his bed. He found himself walking towards it. It was his favorite picture from his own wedding. Midgel smiled as he picked the frame up. It was different than a lot of wedding pictures. Instead of a cheesy couple pose, it was a picture of them splashing each other in a lake, Misty in her wedding dress and Midgel in his suit. Misty was even holding her flower bouquet.

That was Midgel's favorite thing about Misty, she defied what was expected of her. She had suggested a nice picture in front of the lake, then when Midgel was close, pushed him in. After the surprise wore off, he had grabbed her leg and dragged her in with him. The photographer had done a great job at capturing the memory.

Midgel opened up the back of the frame and pulled out the picture. However, just behind the picture, he kept his second favorite photo from that day. They were standing in the same lake, but Misty had her hands draped over Midgel's shoulders and his hands at her waist. It was the moment just before they kissed, standing there soaking wet in their wedding attire. Midgel felt his eyes starting to well up. Misty was trapped on a dangerous planet that had once been their home. He closed his eyes and clutched the pictures in his hands as he said a silent prayer that she and their new baby girl, Amber, were alright.

The pilot sucked in a breath and stuffed the pictures into his back pocket as he turned and left the room. He ran his hand over his short hair and started walking faster. He would do anything he had to if it meant that his family made it out alive.

"Where were you?" Zidgel asked as Midgel finally entered the main deck.

"I had to take care of something." Midgel answered without looking at the captain. He walked to his station and started letting down the landing gear.

Zidgel stared at him and his new haircut. "Really? You had to do that now?"

"You're one to talk." Midgel muttered. "Besides, I had plenty of time."

Zidgel wanted to argue back, but he was too distracted by the approaching planet. It looked normal- you'd never imagine that it was ending.

Kevin was watching as well. "I wish we could save everyone." He said quietly.

The captain looked at Kevin. "I do too." He answered. "But there's nothing we can do. This is just too big for us."

Kevin didn't answer, just continued to stare at the Vizzy Screen. Zidgel sighed and placed a hand on his shoulder. "We'll get them out, big guy, don't worry."

"Buckle up, boys! We're coming in." Midgel announced and continued to punch buttons and flip switches.

Zidgel patted Kevin on the shoulder once then moved to his own chair. The whole crew was getting antsy, with the possibility of death hanging over their heads. It was such a different atmosphere than most of their missions, Zidgel felt like he didn't know how to handle it.

Midgel concentrated on the sight of Fidgel's town. It came closer and closer. He noticed with a jolt of his heart that several billows of smoke could be seen scattered over the landscape. It was truly an apocalypse. He approached the ground as carefully and slowly as he could.

The ship suddenly lurched and Midgel covered his face with his arm as sparks flew from the controls. All systems shut down and they found themselves nosediving for the ground. "Brace yourselves!" Midgel yelled.

The crew covered their faces as the Rockhopper crashed and ground to a stop.


	3. Chapter 3

Pain was all that Zidgel could feel. He could feel himself slipping back into consciousness, but all it brought was a fire with every breath. He desperately wanted to sink back into the darkness where it didn't hurt as much. He tried to focus on the person talking. He couldn't make out what they were saying, but whoever it was, they sounded urgent. He slowly started to make out more details, like the hand on his shoulder, shaking him. He forced his eyes open and looked into the face of Midgel. Midgel was saying something, but he sounded like he was underwater to Zidgel. The captain shook his head to show that he didn't understand. Before he could try to say anything, a monstrous wave of pain washed over him and he groaned as he slipped back into unconsciousness.

Midgel cursed under his breath as Zidgel closed his eyes again and became limp in his chair. "Kevin, help me out, here." He said.

Kevin made his way towards the pilot through the wreck of the Rockhopper. The whole crew was suffering from the crash. Kevin seemed to have a minor concussion, Fidgel's arm was fractured at least, and Midgel's shoulder hurt and an injured ankle forced him to walk with a slight limp. All of them had multiple cuts and burns.

Zidgel was in the worst condition. He obviously had a major concussion, he had several pieces of shrapnel lodged in his face, and a large spike of metal stuck in his middle. Midgel gently unbuckled the seatbelt holding the captain in place. Zidgel slumped forward into Midgel's arms. "Here, Kev, you can carry him." he said, transitioning him into his arms.

Kevin gently hoisted Zidgel up, careful not to bump the metal in his stomach. Zidgel's head lolled against his chest, blood dripping down his face. Fidgel put a hand on Midgel's shoulder. "We have to leave." He said.

Midgel looked around. The ship wasn't in terrible condition, but all power was out and there was a gaping hole in one wall. He looked out the hole, and felt his heart beat faster at the sight of several figures stumbling towards the ship. The pilot turned towards Fidgel. "Your house isn't too far. Do you know the way?"

"Yes."

"Lead the way. We'll have to run." Midgel took his gun from its holster. They didn't have any time to grab extra armor, like helmets or other weapons. Fidgel headed outside, then Kevin carrying Zidgel, then Midgel in the rear. They sprinted towards the nearby woods. "Fidg, get out your gun." Midgel hissed.

The doctor pulled out the gun, but held it awkwardly in his left hand to avoid using his injured one. They continued to run as fast as they could. Midgel noticed that the zombies that tried to follow them seemed incapable of running, but he knew that they wouldn't stop coming when the crew got tired. They just had to make it to Fidgel's place. They could make a plan from there once Zidgel recovered.

Kevin was struggling. The more they ran, the heavier Zidgel seemed. If it wasn't for Midgel running behind him, Kevin probably would have stopped. The idea of getting to Ingrid, his girlfriend, was the one thing that he tried to focus on. He couldn't stop. He had to get to her.

Finally, after what seemed like ages, Fidgel yanked a key from his pocket as they approached a tall, closed gate. He shoved the key into the lock and twisted until it swung open with a creak. He ushered the others in as quickly as possible then closed the gate and locked it behind them. They slowed down a bit as they went down the driveway towards the house at the end. The gate was part of a tall fence that circled the whole of Fidgel's property. Midgel was always impressed by the doctor's house. He figured that having two doctors in the household had its perks. He glanced back at the group of zombies that had followed them and were now trapped on the other side of the gate. The three of them gulped breaths of air as they climbed the few steps to the front door. Fidgel opened it and they all hurried inside. The door slammed shut behind them.

"Molly!" Fidgel called. He pulled Kevin into the kitchen and threw the table cloth off of the kitchen table. "Lay him right here." He instructed. Kevin was more than happy to obey.

Fidgel ran out of the room. "Molly! Mum! Is anyone home?"

Midgel sank into a chair and finally started to breath normally. But as his adrenaline went down, he could feel all the pain seeping into his body. Running had made his ankle hurt more, he couldn't move his shoulder, and he became aware of the blood running down his face. He groaned and put his gun on the table in front of him. He stared at Zidgel laying limp on the table, then switched his gaze to Kevin who sat down on the other side. They made eye contact and Kevin asked him the question Midgel had been asking himself since they had arrived. "Is he going to be alright?"

The pilot didn't answer at first, but went back to looking at Zidgel. "I think he'll be fine. He's pretty tough and Molly's a great doctor."

Kevin pointed to his own temple. "You're bleeding pretty bad."

Midgel smiled slightly. "Thanks, big guy."

They both looked up at the sound of footsteps. Fidgel came in followed by his wife, Molly along with his sister, Sarah. Molly saw Midgel first and gasped. "Oh, Midgel, I'm so sorry." She stepped forward and hugged him gently.

The pilot returned the hug with a small smile. "Thanks, Mol, but he's really the one who got it bad." He nodded towards Zidgel on the table.

Molly gasped again. "That's not good." She looked towards Kevin. "And you don't look good either." She took a deep breath. "Alright first thing's first. We'll get Zidgel stitched up. I'm hoping that he'll stay unconscious at least long enough to remove the spike." She turned to Midgel. "Then you're getting stitches. Anything else?"

"Shoulder's dislocated, ankle's sprained." Midgel answered.

"Then we'll deal with that. Then fix Fidgel's arm, then Kevin needs stitches as well." She started bouncing with nervous energy. "Ok, ok. I can do this." She ran out of the room to fetch her tools.

Midgel laughed at the look on Fidgel's face. "She get's excited easily." The doctor said with a sigh.

Midgel smiled at him. "Well how would you be if four guys in need of medical attention came barging into your house?"

"This _is_ my house." Fidgel answered dryly.

"That is true." Midgel said.

Their heads snapped towards the table as Zidgel groaned and stirred. "Oh, no." Midgel jumped up and limped to his side. The captain's eyes were open, but unfocused and sweat glistened through his feathers. "Hey, buddy." Midgel said quietly.

Zidgel mumbled something and tried to move. "Don't move, you're fine." Midgel held him in place. "We'll get you back together."

Zidgel looked at Midgel for the first time. "What?" He said.

"You're hurt." Midgel said. He tried not to let his panic show. "But Molly's here and she'll get you fixed up."

"Where am I?" Zidgel asked quietly.

"We're home. In Arctlantis, at Fidgel's." Midgel answered. He was glad that the captain was finally starting to make some sense.

"Colette?" Zidgel made another attempt to sit up, but whimpered with pain.

"Not now." Midgel said.

"Captain? I'm here." Kevin stood up.

Zidgel slowly turned his head and looked at the large penguin. "Hey, Kev. You made it."

"I got you out of the ship." Kevin said.

Zidgel smiled. "Thanks, man. I owe you one." He winced again as another wave of pain washed over him. "God, it hurts. What happened to me?"

Midgel sighed. "You got a large chunk of metal sticking out of your stomach."

"What?" Zidgel's eyes got wide and he forced his head up so he could get a glimpse of his injury. He started to feel sick at the sight of the bloody shard of metal sticking out of his body. He laid his head back. "Oh, God." He whispered.

Molly scampered back into the room, carrying a large medical box. "Oh, Zidgel, you're awake." She took another deep breath. "Well, this will make it a little more interesting."

"Good to see you too, Molly." Zidgel said with a small smile.

Molly paused and returned the smile. "Sorry. This is just kind of stressful. But it is good to see you again, even if it's on my kitchen table." She turned back to her box. "Now, this is going to hurt. I was hoping that you wouldn't wake up until we were done, but I guess we'll work with what we've got."

Zidgel took a deep breath. "Do what you gotta do."

Midgel looked at Fidgel. "You got whiskey or something?"

Fidgel shook his head. "We don't drink here."

Midgel sighed. "Of course you don't" He turned back to Zidgel. "You want something to bite down on?" He asked.

Zidgel nodded. Molly turned to the counter and found a wooden spoon. "Use this." She handed it to Midgel. Midgel put it in Zidgel's beak. The captain looked more frightened by the second.

"Alright, boys, I'm going to need your help." Molly said, addressing Midgel, Fidgel, and Kevin. "He'll probably move around a lot so I need you to hold him down."

Kevin stood at the end of the table by Zidgel's legs. Midgel stayed where he was at Zidgel's left and Fidgel moved to his right. Molly dowsed her hands in some rubbing alcohol and took out a pair of scissors. She cut Zidgel's shirt open to allow full access to his wound. "Alright, I'm going to clean it first. It will sting." Molly started pouring some more rubbing alcohol around the metal. Zidgel closed his eyes but didn't say anything.

Molly finished and she placed the bottle down. "Zidgel, did the spike go all the way through?" She asked him.

Zidgel shook his head, eyes still closed.

"That's good news." She looked at the rest of the boys. "Ready? I'm going to pull it out. Zidgel, I want you to try your hardest not to pass out." She said.

The captain's eyes squeezed shut tighter as he braced himself. Midgel and Fidgel gripped his arms in preparation. Molly looked at Fidgel who nodded. She placed her hands around the spike. "3...2...1!" She yanked upward, bringing the shard out of his body.

Zidgel yelled past the spoon in his beak. He tried to bring his hands towards the wound and it took all of Midgel's and Fidgel's strength to hold them against the table. His legs flexed, but Kevin managed to hold them still. Midgel noticed that the spoon was starting to crack between the captain's teeth. The pilot's shoulder zinged with pain, but he forced himself to ignore it. He watched Molly pour more alcohol into the gash as blood oozed out. Midgel looked away. _This is why I work on ships, not people._ He thought with dark humor.

Molly got to work stitching the wound closed. By this time, Zidgel had relaxed and the rest of the crew released his limbs. He was breathing heavily and his beak glistened with sweat. His eyes were still closed against the bite of the needle in his skin. But he was alive.

"He'll be alright?" Fidgel asked his wife.

"Oh, yes. He'll make it. He'll probably be able to walk tomorrow." Molly said with a smile as she continued her work. The remaining time remained silent as they watched the needle work the gash closed. Finally, Molly cut the last part off and placed the needle and thread down. She placed a hand on Zidgel's shoulder. He still hadn't opened his eyes. "Captain, you're going to be ok. You did great."

The captain opened his eyes then spat out the spoon, which landed on the floor with a clink. "Piece of cake." He laughed tiredly.

Midgel laughed as well. Leave it to Captain Zidgel to make a joke out of a situation like this. "Yeah, no problem."

"You were lucky. The metal just barely missed all of your organs. One more inch to the right, and you'd be dead." Molly said as she came back to the sink with a wet cloth. She started cleaning the blood away from his feathers.

"Wow." Zidgel whistled. "Cutting it kinda close, huh?"

"I'll say." Molly smiled. She finished and motioned to Midgel. "Help me sit him up so I can bandage him. But be careful."

Midgel slid a hand under the captain's back and pulled him forward. Molly grabbed one arm as Midgel wrapped his other around his shoulder. Zidgel groaned a little bit, but didn't complain. Midgel stood next to him and allowed him to lean on him for support.

Molly looked at Sarah, who everyone had forgotten was there, and motioned her over. "I need you to grab my tweezers." She instructed.

Sarah hesitated then obeyed. She was a shy penguin, not really interested in socializing with the crew when they came to visit, except for her brother. "Zidgel needs to get that shrapnel out of his face." Molly said once Sarah had the tweezers in her hand. Sarah held them out towards the doctor. Molly smiled. "No, you're gonna do it."

Sarah paused and looked at Zidgel's beat up face. "But I don't know how…"

"It's not hard. If you see a shiny piece of metal, pull it out with the tweezers." Molly explained, taking out a large roll of bandages. "Don't worry, he doesn't bite."

Zidgel turned the side of his face towards Sarah that needed work. "Go for it." He said.

Sarah paused and took a timid step forward. She brought the tweezers close to his face and proceeded to pull out the first piece. "Ow!" Zidgel yelled and snapped his head away.

Sarah gasped and jumped away. "Sorry!" She said, afraid that she had just hurt him much more than he already was.

Zidgel turned back, a smile spread wide across his face. He was laughing. "I'm just kidding."

Molly punched him in the shoulder. "That's not funny!" She exclaimed with a laugh.

"Hey, I'm injured, don't hit me!"

Molly rolled her eyes and slapped a sticky cover over his stitches harder than she probably should have, making the captain wince.

Sarah went back to try again on Zidgel's face, but at least this time, she was smiling a little bit. Zidgel didn't move as she took out the first piece and the next.

"Midg, you'll have to move so I can get around him." Molly said.

Midgel obliged, letting Zidgel shift his weight to Molly's shoulder. She reached around him and started wrapping his middle with new, white bandages.

Midgel sighed and sat down next to Fidgel, glad that it was over. Fidgel shared his feelings of relief and placed a hand on the pilot's shoulder. "You did well." He said.

"Thanks, Fidg. You did too." Midgel answered. He smiled at the doctor.

"Is that tight enough?" Molly asked Zidgel as she finished wrapping his middle.

"Yeah." Zidgel winced slightly as a pretty big piece was removed from under his eye.

"Sorry." Sarah said. "But that was the last one." She put the tweezers down and shut the plastic bag that she had been placing the shrapnel into. "Does he need stitches on his face at all?" She asked Molly.

Molly studied Zidgel's face. "No, the bleeding should stop. Rinse this out, please? Then bring it back." She handed Sarah the cloth that was now covered in blood. "Kevin, I need you." She said.

Kevin jumped up, the sound of his name catching him off-guard. He approached the captain on the table. "Yes?"

"You remember where the guest bedroom is, don't you?"

"Yes."

"Can you help him to it? Make sure that he is settled in the bed. Sarah will follow you." She gently pulled the sleeves of Zidgel's shirt so the torn fabric slipped off of him and onto the table, armor and all. "I'll fix these up for you."

Zidgel smiled. "I appreciate it, but we really have to go."

"No, you're going to rest." Molly put a hand on her hip. "Look at you, you can't even sit up by yourself."

"But Colette-"

"I know, but you can't do anything for her in your condition." Molly said quietly.

Zidgel didn't say anything as Kevin helped him to his feet. He depended on Kevin to carry most of his weight as they made their way down the hall towards the guest bedroom. He was finding it hard to focus on walking with the renewed possibility of Colette being in danger. He let Kevin help him into the bed. He suddenly realized how tired he was and closed his eyes right away. He was jolted awake by a wet cloth on his face. He opened his eyes to see Sarah kneeling next to him wiping the blood from his cuts.

"Sorry." she said, pausing. "I can go-"

"No, don't worry." Zidgel smiled. "Keep going, it's probably better than getting infected, right?" Sarah tenderly dabbed away at the spots of blood. "It's Sarah, right?" Zidgel asked after a moment.

"Yeah." She said. "Fidgel's sister."

"I remember." Zidgel said. "Thanks for your help out there."

"Thanks for scaring me." She retorted with a chuckle. Zidgel smiled.

"Do you still go by Joseph?" She asked suddenly.

Zidgel blinked. "Wow. I haven't been called that in a long time." He said. Joseph was his name before he became a Federation Agent. Zidgel became his name when he became captain of the Rockhopper. He started introducing himself as "Captain Zidgel" and didn't tell many people what his real name was. Only his parents still called him Joseph, or Joey as he used to be known as.

"Sorry. I just remember Fidgel saying something about it." She smiled. "Or Sal, if you want to get technical."

"You still call him Sal?" Zidgel asked.

"I've called him Sal my whole life." Sarah said. She stood up and turned toward the door, then turned back towards Zidgel. "You know Ray?"

"Fidgel's brother-in-law?"

"He's my husband." Sarah said. "I just figured you might as well know."

"Thanks." Zidgel said. He hesitated. "Where is he? Is he…"

"He's fine. He went to get a generator."

"By himself?" Zidgel asked.

"Don't worry, the neighbors are super nice and we're all joining together so we can all survive." Sarah explained. "We just don't have power right now so all the guys went out to find a generator."

Zidgel laid his head back on the pillow and stared at the ceiling in thought. His stomach and face and head all pounded with one pulse. When he looked back at where Sarah was standing, she was gone. He sighed and closed his eyes, allowing himself to be enveloped in a painless sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

"Gah! It hurts!" Midgel gritted his teeth against the screaming pain in his shoulder. He was laying on his back on the kitchen table, one arm gripping the edge of the table and the hand of his dislocated shoulder holding a backpack. Molly steadily pushed his outstretched arm towards the ground, pain increasing with every push.

"Keep going." Molly ordered.

Midgel closed his eyes and resisted the urge to pull his arm back to his body. He let the weight of the backpack and the push of Molly slowly roll the shoulder back into place.

Molly suddenly made a quick, hard push down. Midgel felt a painful pop in his shoulder. "Ow!" He yelled and sat bolt upright, yanking his arm away from Molly. But the pain suddenly decreased and became a dull throbbing. He rolled his shoulder with very little pain. "I think you got it." He said with a grimace.

"Yup, now give me your face." Molly grabbed a wet cloth and started to wipe away the dried blood on his face to get a better look at the gash on his temple as he swung his legs over the edge of the table.

Without thinking, Midgel jerked away. He didn't mean to, it was just his first instinct. Molly sighed with exasperation. "Would you stop being a baby?" She demanded.

"Sorry." Midgel said. He forced himself not to move as she placed a hand on top of his head to hold him in place and wiped his face clean. He squeezed his eyes shut until he felt her pull away. She poured some rubbing alcohol on a cotton ball and dabbed at the gash. He winced at the sting, but didn't say anything.

Fidgel watched the procedure, his arm in a sling. Molly didn't know how to set broken bones so they settled on giving him a splint for a few days. But otherwise, he considered himself lucky after watching Zidgel's procedure.

"So have you guys heard anything from Misty, Colette, or Ingrid?" Midgel asked as Molly started stitching the wound on his head.

"No. All power is out. At least in this area." Molly answered.

Midgel fell silent. "How did this even happen?" He asked. He had been wondering this ever since Zidgel told him about the apocalypse.

Molly sighed. "I wish I knew. It started with the power going out and never coming back on. Then we saw _them_ outside the gate." Her voice cracked. She turned toward Fidgel. "The family across the street was among them, Fidg." She said.

Fidgel's breath caught in his throat. "The kids, too?" He asked.

Molly nodded, then started to sob. Fidgel stood up and walked to his wife and pulled her close to him. She cried for a little bit.

"I'm so sorry guys." Midgel said quietly. They had always had a special bond with the family across the street: the Whitefeathers. Now they were dead… or worse.

"Midgel, it's not your fault." Molly pulled away from Fidgel and turned back to the pilot. She took a shaky breath and continued her work on the pilot's face. "This is how it is now, we just have to make the best of it."

Midgel didn't answer, but he glanced at Fidgel. He looked on the verge of tears.

Molly finished the stitching and placed a few white bandages to protect the wound. "Now, what's wrong with your ankle?" She reached down and started untying Midgel's boot.

"You know, I can do that myself." He said.

"Shush, let me be the doctor." Molly responded. She carefully pulled off the shoe to reveal Midgel's swollen ankle. "That's definitely sprained." She said. "We don't have any ice because of the power outage, so you should just stay off of it and keep it elevated for a while."

"Look, thanks so much, Molly. But we have to leave first thing in the morning." Midgel said.

"You're hurt!" Molly protested.

Midgel narrowed his eyes. "Our families are out there, Mol. Our kids. Do you want them to end up like the Whitefeathers?"

"I just think that you won't be able to help them if you're not fit to fight." Molly argued back.

"Molly." Fidgel interrupted. "We have to leave."

Molly whirled on her husband. "You're leaving too?"

"I have to help them." Fidgel stated. "We're a team."

"But it's dangerous! It isn't just the zombies; there are no laws, criminals run the streets. Wouldn't Misty be safer in her house instead of dragging her _and_ your baby across town?"

"Don't you dare!" Midgel growled. He rose to his feet, ignoring his ankle. "Don't you dare just tell us to abandon our families because it's dangerous for us to save them!" He and Molly glared at each other. Midgel's eyes softened when a tear rolled down her cheek. "Molly, it's worth it for us." He said softly.

She sniffed and swiped at the tear. She turned away. "Fine. Spend the night here, then leave in the morning." She turned back. "You are welcome back when you get everyone."

Midgel smiled slightly. "Thanks, Mol." He looked out the window at the setting sun and realized that he was exhausted. The pain that he had been in had drained any energy out of him. He turned to Fidgel. "Where are we sleeping?"

The next morning, the majority of the crew were sitting around and eating dry cereal. The captain was still in the guest bedroom. Everyone felt refreshed from their sleep and the access to the shower that Molly allowed them.

"Welcome back." Sarah said suddenly.

Everyone looked up to see Captain Zidgel standing in the doorway, leaning against the wall. He was starting to look like his normal self, except for his dirt and blood-stained feathers and messed up hair. He smiled as he stepped into the kitchen.

"You're good to be walking?" Midgel asked, downing his glass of water.

"I guess so." Zidgel answered. He sat down at the table. "I'm starving."

"All we got is cereal." Molly said. "And no milk. We need to go out and get some more soon."

"We'll get something on the way back." Fidgel told her, placing a hand on the back of her chair. Midgel winced slightly. He was suggested it like it was a normal grocery run.

"Cereal sounds awesome." Zidgel said. He rose and started limping to the counter.

"Sit, Zidgel. I'll get it for you." Sarah jumped up.

Zidgel nodded and sat back down. "Thanks."

"Let me see." Molly motioned towards the cuts on Zidgel's face as she turned towards him.

Zidgel leaned toward her, allowing her to inspect his wounds. She pushed some feathers out of the way to get a better look. "I think they will heal nicely." She said. She pushed his arm up to look at his bandage around his middle. "I don't see any blood leaking through. I'd say that you're in good shape."

"That's good." Zidgel said. He smiled at Sarah as she placed a bowl in front of him with a spoon and a glass of water. He started to eat. "So what's the plan for today?" He asked after a couple of mouthfuls.

Midgel leaned back in his chair. "I think we should split up like you suggested yesterday."

Fidgel closed his eyes in frustration. "We already decided that it was a bad idea."

"But now, we don't have our ship ready." Midgel explained. "We can't just pick them up like we had planned to. It will take forever to get everyone if we still go all together."

Zidgel chewed in thought. "It makes sense."

Midgel nodded. "I think we should go in pairs. Cap and I will go to our own houses while Fidg and Kevin find Ingrid."

"Will you be able to handle the kids?" Molly asked. "You'll have to bring four of them back, as well as your pregnant wife."

"We'll have to." Midgel said. "I think they'll make it."

Zidgel tapped the table with his spoon. "Then it's settled. We'll leave right after I'm done here."

"Not so fast, captain." Molly said. Zidgel paused. He wasn't used to being ordered around. "First you need to shower and change the bandage. I also fixed your shirts last night." She said.

Zidgel remembered that he didn't have a shirt on. "Fine. Then after that, we're leaving."

"Deal." Molly said.


	5. Chapter 5

"There's a key for the gate, food, water, bandages, cleaning ointment, and extra clothes in here." Molly handed Midgel and Fidgel old backpacks full of supplies. "Now if you come across a zombie, don't shoot it if you can help it. The sound will just draw more to you. Use your knife and make sure you get it in the head."

"Yes, mom." Zidgel said sarcastically. No one would be able to tell that he had just been impaled the day before. His shirt covered his bandage and he stood straight as if nothing was bothering him. Even without any hair gel, his hair managed to stay in its usual high pompadour. The only sign of injury were the cuts on his face, but even those were partially hidden behind his feathers.

Midgel laughed as he slung the backpack over his shoulders. Molly had made him put a bandage around his head to keep his own cut from getting infected. He favored his right foot, which wasn't strained and still walked with a heavy limp.

Fidgel was the one that Molly mostly worried about. His arm was a huge handicap and she was afraid that it would get him killed. But he managed to reassure her with the fact that Kevin would be with him the whole time and he wouldn't let anything happen. Kevin seemed to be the only one who had come out of the crash unharmed, except for a mild concussion.

Fidgel hugged and kissed Molly good-bye. "Be careful, boys." She said.

Sarah shook their hands, until she got to Zidgel. He ignored her outstretched hand and pulled her in for a hug. She didn't object.

As the crew walked down the driveway, the reality of the situation started to get more real. The fact that they couldn't see any zombies from the house had made them forget what was really out there. They approached the gate and could hear the growls and moans of the undead. Midgel's heart started to beat faster. He hoped he would be able to run fast enough if he had to.

They reached the gate. There were no more zombies waiting for them to come out, but their distant noises could still be heard. Zidgel gripped his knife tighter. "Just a recap, we go as far as 7th street, then we part ways. We meet back here. If one group doesn't return within 24 hours of the first, we send a search party." The captain took a deep breath.

"Yes, sir." Fidgel breathed. "Ready?" He unlocked the gate as quietly as he could. "We may have to run for it."

He pushed the gate open with a creak. They started jogging forward after he locked the gate behind them. The street remained eerily silent, but it allowed the crew to reserve their energy. They slowed to a walk as everything stayed still. Midgel gritted his teeth at the flaring pain in his ankle, but didn't say anything to the others.

They made it to 7th street with no interruptions. They stopped. Zidgel looked at Fidgel and Kevin. "Well, good luck, boys." He said. They exchanged embraces, unsure if they would ever see each other again.

They reluctantly departed, Midgel and Zidgel turning left and Fidgel and Kevin continued straight.

The captain and his pilot were afraid to talk much. But the town remained relatively quiet, except for the occasional movement in an alley. Zidgel jumped at the sound of glass breaking inside a house.

Midgel noticed how paranoid the captain was so he decided to strike up a conversation. "I should have brought an extra coat." He muttered. "I always forget how cold it is here."

Zidgel glanced at him. "You've lived here your whole life, you should be used to it." He smiled to show that he was teasing.

Midgel snorted. "Maybe I'll grab something from home."

"If home is even there." Zidgel's face fell.

Midgel looked up at the captain. "It'll be there."

"How can you be sure?" Zidgel suddenly snapped. He stopped walking.

Midgel turned to face him. "Hey, where did that come from?"

Zidgel glared at Midgel. "Look at where we are," he said, spreading his arms to both sides. "The town's in shambles, and everyone's either gone or dead. Who's to say that it won't be the same at our places?"

"We live outside of the town." Midgel answered. "I'm just trying to hope for the best."

"You're gonna be disappointed." Zidgel growled.

Midgel felt his temper rise. "You're such a baby." He muttered, turning to leave.

"What was that?" Zidgel challenged.

"You heard me. You're a big, spoiled baby." Midgel spat over his shoulder.

"Hey!" Zidgel yelled. Midgel spun around to face the captain. He couldn't help but grip his knife through his pocket. "I'm still your captain." Zidgel said, approaching the pilot.

Zidgel towered in front of him, but Midgel held his gaze. "Then maybe you should start acting like it." Midgel said.

Zidgel wound up and punched Midgel directly in the beak. The pilot stumbled back and brought a hand to his face. He glared at Zidgel as blood dripped down the side of his beak and stained his teeth red. He lunged forward, faking a punch to the stomach and connected with the side of Zidgel's head when his hands went down. Zidgel stumbled and blinked, trying to clear his head. Midgel had always been the better fighter out of the two of them. Zidgel took another swing which Midgel dodged easily and kicked him in the stomach without thinking. He connected with Zidgel's wound. Zidgel fell to the ground in agony, spots floating in front of his eyes.

Midgel halted before he could make another blow. He sniffed as blood continued to stream out of his nostrils. He stared at Zidgel as he lay on the ground, holding his middle. Zidgel looked up at him, pain filling his eyes. The pilot knelt down next to him and gently lifted the captain's shirt up. A red spot stained the white bandage.

He cursed quietly. "Come on, let's go, we're almost there." He hauled Zidgel to his feet, ignoring the captain's whimpers of pain. He figured he deserved it.

Midgel started to lead Zidgel further down the street. Before long, he noticed a low buzzing sound. He turned, looking for the source. His eyes widened as he saw a group of about ten zombies stumbling towards them. He started leading Zidgel faster down the road.

Zidgel turned his head to see what Midgel had seen. "They must've heard us." He said softly, trying not to pass out from the pain.

"They'll attract more." Midgel said, still trying to drag the captain faster. He swore again as a couple more zombies emerged from an alley ahead of them. "Come on, jog a little bit." He encouraged Zidgel.

Zidgel grunted and forced his legs to move faster. They soon were moving at a fast limp. It was faster than the zombies, but they couldn't move fast enough to stop.

"I don't want to lead them home." Zidgel said.

"But I don't think you'll make it anywhere else."

"Turn here." Zigel ordered. Midgel hesitated. "Now." Zidgel growled. Midgel rolled his eyes and turned down an alley. The next street over was visible from there. "Turn right again." Zidgel said when they reached it. Midgel turned. The street was completely empty. "Right again." Zidgel said. Midgel started to get the idea that Zidgel was going for. He helped the captain down the next alleyway. Now they were facing the street that they had escaped. They made their way towards it. Just as he poked his head past the wall, Midgel saw the last zombie just disappear into the alley that they had first gone down.

Midgel breathed a sigh of relief. "Genius." He muttered. They continued down the street, afraid to make anymore noise. Zidgel was slowly fading with the loss of blood. Blood had started leaking out of the bandage, staining his clothes (again). Midgel started to panic. They just had to make it home before he passed out. "C'mon, Z." He whispered. "We're almost there. I can't carry you."

Zidgel didn't respond and Midgel didn't have any other choice but to keep going. Finally, after what seemed like ages, they crossed the edge of town and were heading towards a familiar tree line. Zidgel's house was just on the other side of the clump of pine trees.

Zidgel couldn't make out where they were. He had lost a lot of blood and his vision was starting to narrow. He was barely walking and Midgel was mostly dragging him through the woods. He fought to stay awake, but his eyelids betrayed him and he closed his eyes. The last thing he remembered was Midgel's voice calling his name.

Midgel let Zidgel's limp frame fall to the ground. He looked towards Zidgel's house. They were so close, he could just make it out through the trees. He huffed and heaved Zidgel over his shoulders. He forced himself to the front door. He reached up to knock, ankle screaming from the added weight. He noticed that all of the windows were barred shut. He started to think that no one was home. Then he heard the lock of the door click and it cracked open. "Colette?" He asked. The door opened fully and he was greeted not by Colette, but by Misty.

"Oh my god." She breathed. She grabbed his arm and pulled him inside. The house was dark due to the barred windows, but several candles were set up around the place. Midgel struggled to the kitchen and placed Zidgel down on the counter, which was luckily clean. He had barely put the captain down when Misty threw her arms around his neck and kissed him as hard as she could. He returned the gesture, but quickly pushed her away. "You got water?" He asked.

"Yeah." She ran over to the sink and started soaking a cloth under the stream that ran from the faucet.

Midgel shrugged the backpack off of his shoulders and rummaged through it until he pulled out the first aid kit. He pulled his sweatshirt off over his head and pushed his sleeves up. He remembered being taught how to stitch a wound closed in the federation, but he had never done it on a real wound. He approached Zidgel's motionless form. "I need some light." He said. Misty brought the biggest candle over and sat it next to Zidgel. Midgel grabbed his knife and cut Zidgel's shirt where it had been cut before then cut open the bandage.

"What happened?" Misty asked in astonishment.

"We crash landed." Midgel explained, wiping away as much blood as he could. He then poured some rubbing alcohol on the wound. "At least he's unconscious for this one."

"This one? What are you talking about?" She asked.

"Misty? What's going on?" Colette walked through the doorway, carrying a small child penguin. She gasped when she saw her husband lying on the counter and Midgel standing over him, covered in blood.

Misty jumped forward and tried to pull her away, but Colette yanked her arm away. She turned the child so he wasn't facing the scene in the kitchen. "Willy, I want you to go play in the living room before breakfast." She explained, trying to keep her cool. The little boy nodded and ran off as she put him down. Once he was out of sight, she ran to the counter and stood next to Midgel. "What is going on?" She demanded.

Midgel sighed. "I'm trying to stop the bleeding. I'll explain later, but now, I need you to stay out of my way."

Colette remained silent, but moved over to stand above Zidgel's head. She held his face in her hands, tracing her fingers over his peaceful features.

Midgel pulled out the suture and got to work closing the wound again. He wasn't as fast as Molly, but he tried to remember how Molly had done it to him and he was able to figure it out. Soon, he was wiping away the excess blood from the now-closed gash. He pulled out a bandage and stuck it over the wound. He sighed with relief and looked down at his hands which were red.

"Is he going to be ok?" Colette asked.

Midgel nodded. "I think so." He turned and started washing his hands in the sink.

"Thank you." Colette said. Midgel just nodded. "So what happened to him?"

Midgel sighed. "We crash-landed here." A gasp escaped Misty's mouth. Midgel glanced at her then continued. "We went to Fidgel's and Molly's and she fixed us up. Then on the way here, we…" He didn't want to admit it, but he knew that Colette had to know. "We got in a fight and I opened his wound again. He lost a lot of blood."

"You opened his wound?" Colette asked as if she couldn't believe it.

Midgel took a deep breath. "Yes. And I'm sorry, I never meant to hurt him so badly."

Colette stared at the pilot for a few moments. "You fixed it. I forgive you. I don't know if he will, though."

Midgel smiled with relief. "I hope so."

He finally turned to Misty who had been staring at him longingly. He grinned at her. "Hi, Misty." He said.

Misty grinned back and slipped her arms under his and rested her head on his chest. He hugged her back and put his chin on the top of her head. "I'm so glad you're here." Misty said softly.

"Me too." Midgel answered.

Misty looked up at his face. "You were bleeding." She said, referring to the dried blood caking his beak. "And what's this for?" She lightly touched the bandage around his head.

"I don't think I really need it." Midgel reached up and took off the bandage, showing Misty his cut which was just starting to heal.

Misty shook her head. "I'm sorry, Ash-"

"Woah." Midgel faltered. "I haven't heard that in a while."

"Oh, come on. I call you Ash all the time." Misty said with a chuckle.

"Yeah, I know. But I'm not really used to it." Midgel shifted from foot to foot. "But I won't stop you."

"It _is_ your name after all." Misty said. She turned back to Colette, who had been watching them. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah." Colette looked back at Zidgel.

"Mom…" The three of them looked up to find Olivia, Zidgel's oldest daughter, standing in the doorway. She was holding a baby penguin. Before she could continue, she noticed her dad on the counter.

"Liv…" Colette started walking toward her.

"What's wrong with Dad?" Olivia asked, hugging the baby tighter to her.

"Dad's fine." Colette knelt down so she was eye to eye with the six-year-old. "He just was in an accident, but he'll be back to normal in no time."

Olivia nodded. She saw Midgel leaning against the wall and smiled sheepishly. "Hi, Uncle Midgel." She said.

"Hey, Olivia." He returned the smile and approached her. "How are you?" He asked as he took the baby from her.

"Good." She said, playing with her pajama shirt.

"You got big." Midgel told her. It was true that she had grown a good amount since the last time he'd seen her. Olivia just smiled in return. The baby in Midgel's arms reached up and grabbed a hold of his beak. He grinned and kissed her as she giggled.

"Ash, he's waking up!" Misty suddenly exclaimed.

Before Midgel could stop her, Olivia darted past him and ran over to see Zidgel stirring. Colette put her hands on her daughter's shoulders as they watched Zidgel struggle into consciousness. He finally opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling.

"Z?" Colette asked timidly. She walked up to him and put a hand on his shoulder.

He turned his head to look at her. His expression softened. "Colette. Hi." He said tiredly.

"Oh my god." She said in relief. Before Zidgel could say anything else, she leaned over and kissed him. When she finally pulled away, she playfully hit him on the arm. "Don't ever do that to me again!"

A small smile spread across Zidgel's beak. "Sorry." He looked down and noticed Olivia looking at him hopefully. "Hey, Liv." He said. He reached over and ruffled her hair. He looked back at Colette. "Darius? Willy?"

"They're alright. We're all alright." Colette answered.

Zidgel let out a sigh of relief. "That's the best news I've heard all day."

Later that day, after the captain had been helped into bed and all of his kids had seen him, Midgel, Misty, and Colette gathered around the kitchen table to discuss their situation.

"So we're just supposed to leave?" Colette demanded after Midgel explained their plan.

"What else are we supposed to do?" Midgel asked. "I wish I could save everyone else too, but that's impossible."

"So we're just going to let everyone die?"

Midgel pinched his forehead between his eyebrows. He had changed into a clean red shirt and jeans, happy to be out of his armor for a little while. He kept one hand on Misty's leg, as if he was afraid she would disappear suddenly, but his attention was on Colette across the table. "If you have any ideas, please, let me know."

Colette remained silent, but crossed her arms and glared at him.

"Look, our main plan is just to get out of here. The Federation is working on the planet-wide situation and we can help them as much as we can once we're safe." The pilot told her.

"Alright, we get it, Ash." Misty gripped his hand on her leg, breaking his concentration on Colette. "So we leave for Molly's in the morning?"

"Yeah." Midgel muttered. He stared at the table.

"Uncle Midgel?" A small voice came from the door.

The three of them turned to the child, who happened to be five-year-old Darius. He was holding two parts of a toy spaceship. One of the wings appeared to be broken off.

Midgel forced a smile to his face. "What's up, buddy?"

"My ship broke. Can you fix it?" Darius approached the table and set the broken toy in front of Midgel.

"Sure." Midgel picked up the pieces and examined them. It just looked like one of the screws had snapped in half and the other had become unscrewed. "Can you do me a favor and go downstairs to get a box of screws and a screwdriver?" The pilot asked the boy.

Darius nodded with enthusiasm and ran off to do as Midgel said.

"He knows you work on ships." Colette said with a smile. Her demanding stature had disappeared with the entrance of her son.

"Yeah, but not usually little ones." Midgel placed the pieces back on the table.

"You're an engineer. You'll figure it out." Misty told him. The conversation seemed to be over and she stood up, kissing her husband's cheek. She went to the sink and washed her hands. "So what're we doing for lunch? Cold sandwiches again?"

"I guess so." Colette answered. She too stood up and Darius promptly entered the room again. He placed a small box of screws and a screwdriver in front of Midgel.

Midgel picked up the screwdriver. "Perfect. Thanks, big guy."

Darius excitedly pushed himself into Midgel's lap so he could see what the pilot was doing. Midgel carefully explained to the young penguin all of the steps that he went through as the two women messed around in the kitchen with the food that they had left.


End file.
